Traveling Fairy
by Reminiscing Moonlight
Summary: One fateful night, Sakura's village burns down because of the Fairy Hunters that are after her. Now, traveling as a herbalist on the road, Sakura meets Syaoran. One problem: Syaoran is a Fairy Hunter. Will history repeat itself or will love conquer all?
1. Found

**Rem:** Wow. I feel proud. This is our very first fanfiction ever! Hopefully you'll give us some good reviews, no? This first chapterwas originally not gonna be a prologue, but... it's really short so I made it a prologue. Because I can xDAnyway. If you've looked at my profile, you'll see we also have another story coming soon. Suzie and I actually started that before this one, but we really have been neglecting it quite a bit. Hopefully, we'll be posting it up soon, though. Um, that's all for now. Read the story!

**Suzie:** Our story sucks but whatever. As long as you readand review, I guess.No flames, please... be nice! Soo... The other story we're writing needs more beef to it so we will wait or maybe we won't post it at all if nobody wants us to. So... give us your opinions? Well, that's all I guess. Continue on with the chapter! Toodles

**Disclamer: **We don't own CCS... unfortunately...

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--PROLOGUE --  
_Found_

Nadeshiko Amamiya, a 26 year-old woman with wavy hair and warm brown eyes, heard a knock at her door in the middle of the night. She groggily got up from her bed and crossed her one room hut. WhenNadeshiko opened the door, however,there was no one there.Nadeshiko was about to close the door when she heard a cry near her feet. She looked down to see a basket covered in a pink cloth. When Nadeshiko picked up the basket, she heard another cry penetrate the night. Peeking into the basket, Nadshiko gasped. It was a small, infant girl.

A worried frown appeared on Nadeshiko's face as she rushed to her next door neighbor and best friend, Sonomi Daidouji, who was 30 with chin-length brown hair and misty blue eyes. Nadeshiko started franticly knocking on Sonomi's door while trying to calm the baby down. Sonomi opened the door blinking the sleep out of her eyes.

"What is it?" she asked yawning.

"Nomi-chan, someone left this baby on my doorstep! What should I do?" Nadeshiko asked, anxiously.

Sonomi was silent for a moment, processing Nadeshiko's words in her head. They finally sunk in.

"WHAT?" Sonomi shouted and then quickly shut her mouth after being shushed by Nadeshiko. "Oh my gosh, Nade-chan. Hurry up, come on in." Sonomi whispered quickly.

Nadeshiko stepped into the small house and set the basket carefully on top of a table. She breathed in the scents of dried herbs that were hanging on the while carefully handing the baby to Sonomi, blanket and all.

"Nade-chan, look at this." Sonomi murmured. Onto the pink blanket in the top right hand corner was embroidered the name, "SAKURA".

"I think that's a good name for her." Sonomi said. "What do you think, Nadeshiko?"

"Yes, I think it's a lovely name. Cherry blossom." Nadeshiko answered as she went back to the basket. She peered inside to see a note. "Nomi-chan! Come here look at what this note says."

In flowing elegant script, read the words:

'_Please take care of our precious cherry blossom for us.'_

"There's no signature on it…" Sonomi said softly, flipping the paper over. She then shifted the baby a bit in her arms, allowing the blanket to fall off of Sakura's shoulders. Nadeshiko gasped in shock.

"What is it?" Sonomi inquired.

Nadeshiko pointed at Sakura's back with a trembling hand and said, "She has the birthmark of a butterfly on her back!"

Sonomi turned Sakura around and gaped at her back.

"But…only fairies have butterfly birth marks." Sonomi said.

Nadeshiko gazed at Sakura. "Now I think I understand. Her parents must have been on the run from-"

"Fairy Hunters." Sonomi finished, bitterness in her voice.

Nadeshiko turned to Sonomi. "Do you know much about them, Nomi-chan?"

Sonomi shook her head. "Only that they seek to wipe the fairy population off the face of the world, and that they have the birthmark of a hawk on their backs." Sonomi set Sakura down into the basket and turned to face her large bookshelf.

"I think I have a book about fairies somewhere here…" Sonomi muttered running her finger over several books she had, looking for the right one. "Ah, here it is." She exclaimed, smiling triumphantly.

Sonomi held out a book with beautiful gold print on the cover that read, "Magical Creatures of Gambria". Sonomi then flipped the pages of the book until she found the page she was looking for. Nadeshiko looked over her friend's shoulder to read. The two scanned the pages quickly, absorbing all the information they could.

When they finished, Nadeshiko pointed out, "I think that we should read what information there is on Fairy Hunters... so we can be prepared if they ever discover Sakura."

"That's a good idea." Sonomi nodded as she sifted through the pages to find the section on Fairy Hunters. Sonomi and Nadeshiko started reading again.

When they finished, Nadeshiko has a sad look on her face. "How could he do such a terrible thing to her?"

"I know… it was horrible the way he betrayed her." Answered Sonomi. Then, the two looked out the window to see the sun just rising above the horizon.

"Oh my goodness!" Nadeshiko exclaimed. "It's dawn already and I left Touya in the hut alone. Here, I'll take Sakura for now until we can think of something to do. Ja ne!" Nadeshiko rushed out of the small hut and into her own, carrying Sakura in the basket with her.

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**Ack, sorry for the short chapter. I promise the next one will be better! Hopefully... For now, just review, please )**

Cheers,  
Rem & Suzie


	2. Book

**Rem: **Look! It's the second chapter! You're thinking "Finally!", right? Sorry, sorry! We'll try to hurry with chapter 3. Well, anyway, this chapter is pretty boring. Mostly just feeding you with a lot of information. However, the next chapter will be more exciting! We promise! The story will indeed start to pick up and actually show signs of a real plot xD As for now, just bear with us, 'kay? Also, thanks for all the nice reviews :D I feel nice and fuzzy inside -g- As you know, we do love reviews -wink, wink- Hm. That's pretty much it. Enjoy the chapter!

**Suzie: **Hey, it's me again! Suzie! Okay, so, it took awhile but here it is... -drum roll- CHAPTER 2! Aren't you so proud of us? We finally got off our lazy butts and actually did something productive! If you have any questions/comments/complaints, feel free to email either me or Rem. Enjoy!

**Disclamer: **We don't own CCS. That honor would have to go to CLAMP.

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-- CHAPTER TWO --  
_Book_

Inquisitive emerald green eyes peered into the dim hut. "Auntie Sonomi-chan ?" a clear bell-like voice rang out.

Hearing no response, the girl, five-year-old Sakura, entered the musty room. Going past a shelf full of jars, she peered into the bedroom, but found no one. Disappointed, Sakura was about to leave when suddenly, Sonomi's large bookcase caught her eye. Sakura stepped toward it, eyeing a certain shelf – the one she was forbidden to touch.

Sakura hesitated a bit, but eventually reached out a trembling hand, pulling out the nearest book. On the cover read, "The Magical Creatures of Gambria" in fancy, gold letters. Sakura thought to herself, "What harm could come from reading an informational book about mythical creatures?" With that, Sakura flipped the book open to the bookmark stuck in it and began to read.

Not much is known about fairies and their powers, but this information is known so far. Fairies have a distinct butterfly birthmark on their back. Every butterfly is different from the others. Fairies can make their wings disappear at free will but until they know how to make their wings appear, they must learn to make do without their wings. Their wings are shaped like the butterfly wings that are on their back.

Fairies have the power to heal. They also have the power to help plants grow. They can cast glamours, which mean to cast an illusion on things.

Fairies are strangely smart for their age. For example, a five year-old fairy might have the intelligence of an 8 year-old human.

Fairies have very long life spans too. They can live to be 300 years-old if they aren't hunted down first. Every five—

_Slam!_

Sakura jumped back, surprised, only to bump into a very angry Sonomi who was clutching the large book so tightly her knuckle's were white. Sakura felt like she was shrinking as her aunt glared down at her. "I-I was j-just dusting y-your bookshelves?" Sakura stuttered, looking up nervously.

Sonomi's frown deepened. "Come with me." Sonomi said sharply, while stalking out of the hut. Sakura followed closely behind, her face turned towards the ground.

Sakura looked up to see that they had arrived at Nadeshiko's hut. Puzzled, Sakura was about to ask why they were at her house, when Sonomi opened the door and looked inside before turning back to Sakura.

"Do you know where Nadeshiko is?" Sonomi asked kindly. Sakura shook her head. "No…" Sakura answered, timidly.

Just then, Nadeshiko came out from her bedroom. "Oh! Nomi-chan, what brings you here today?" Nadeshiko inquired, smiling brightly. That smile faltered a bit when Nadeshiko noticed Sakura standing behind Sonomi, looking extremely nervous. "What happened?" Nadeshiko asked, worriedly.

Sonomi let out a sigh. "I caught Sakura looking through the book." Sonomi muttered, putting special emphasis on 'the book'.

Nadeshiko's mouth opened a bit to form a perfect 'o'. Nadeshiko turned to Sakura and asked softly, "Saku, dear, what do you think about this book here?"

"What do you mean, Mama? It's a nice book, I suppose. I don't see why I can't read it." Sakura pouted.

Nadeshiko smiled at Sakura and said, "Auntie Sonomi and I have to talk. Why don't you go to your room and wait there until we call you. Is that okay, sweetie?"

"Yes, Mama." Sakura answered cheerfully, happy that she wasn't in trouble _yet_.

As Sakura sat on her bed waiting, she could faintly hear her mother and aunt talking in low voices. Deciding to eavesdrop, Sakura pressed her ear to the door to try to hear what they were saying, though she was only able to pick up snatches of the conversation.

"Should we tell…" "…but Sakura…" "…fairies…" "…does Tomoyo…"

Frowning upon hearing her best friend's name, Sakura sank onto her bed, thinking about how her cousin Tomoyo was involved. As she thought harder, everything started to piece itself together in Sakura's head.

Sakura sat frozen for a few moments, finally understanding what everything that had happened to her meant.

After a few moments, Nadeshiko knocked on Sakura's door, telling her to come out. Sakura swayed a bit before steadying herself and walking out the door.

When she reached the living room, Sakura looked up at Nadeshiko. She asked slowly, "Am I a fairy?" Without waiting for Nadeshiko to answer, Sakura went on. "That's why I'm so smart, right? That's why I have a butterfly on my back. That's why the garden I tend to grows so well. That's why Tomoyo-chan's cut healed in a matter of hours. It's not because I'm 'special', like you tell me. It's because I'm a fairy, isn't it?" Sakura's voice kept rising until she was practically screaming at Nadeshiko and Sonomi.

Nadeshiko winced. "Sakura…"

With tears slowly dripping down her face, Sakura asked, trembling, "Why didn't you tell me?" With that, Sakura fled out the door and towards her small garden in a secluded part of the forest.

Spying Tomoyo there, Sakura called out, "Hi, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura smiled brightly, trying to mask the pain she felt.

Amethyst eyes turned to Sakura. Tomoyo frowned as Sakura came closer, still smiling. "What's wrong, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura stopped smiling for a moment, before plastering the fake smile back onto her face. "What do you mean, Tomoyo? Nothing's wrong!"

Tomoyo's frown deepened. I'm your best friend and cousin, Sakura. I can tell when you're not your normal, cheerful self. Trust me."

Sakura sighed and sank down onto the bench next to Tomoyo. Knowing her 'cousin' wouldn't give up until she knew what was wrong, Sakura reluctantly told Tomoyo about everything that had happened, from when she entered Sonomi's hut to when she ran out of her own hut and met up with Tomoyo.

When Sakura had finished talking, Tomoyo was staring at her with wide eyes. "A _fairy_?" Tomoyo gasped.

Sakura nodded miserably.

Tomoyo gazed at Sakura with understanding in her eyes. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. Everything will be okay." Tomoyo patted Sakura on the shoulder before standing up and brushing out the wrinkles in her dress. "Well, you can't avoid Mama and Auntie Nadeshiko forever. Let's head back now."

Sakura hesitated before slowly rising to her feet. "I know. Let's go."

---

The two friends made their way back to Nadeshiko's hut, Tomoyo in front with Sakura lagging behind. When they reached the hut, Nadeshiko and Sonomi rushed out. "Are you alright, Saku?" Nadeshiko asked softly.

Sakura nodded and replied, "Yes…" her voice barely a whisper.

Sonomi glanced at Sakura, and then Tomoyo. "Come inside and we'll tell you everything."

---

When all four were seated at the table, Sonomi began speaking. "Do you both promise to never repeat any of this to anyone?"

Both Tomoyo and Sakura nodded hesitantly.

Sonomi sighed before continuing. "Well, the truth is that..." Sonomi's voiced drifted off a bit before she started speaking again. "When you were about five months old, someone left you on Nadeshiko's doorstep."

Sakura stared at Sonomi incredulously. "But… that means Mama isn't really my mother? And you aren't really my Auntie?" Sakura's voice wavered and her eyes began misting up.

Nadeshiko stared down at her lap, nodding. "Yes, Sakura. It's true. I'm not really your mother."

Sakura sniffed loudly and leaned on Tomoyo's shoulder, digesting this new information.

Sonomi was quiet for a moment, feeling sympathy for Sakura. But, sighing, Sonomi knew that Sakura must learn everything about her past, or at least what Sonomi and Nadeshiko knew. "Sakura, read this section of the book you were just reading, alright?"

Sakura wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, before accepting the big book from Sonomi. Flipping it open to the second bookmark, Sakura began reading aloud to everyone.

"Fairy hunters are the major predators of fairies. They are the only creatures in existence that can somewhat overpower fairies.

Fairy hunters have a hawk birthmark on their backs.

Fairy hunters, like other creatures, cannot see through a fairy's glamour. However, they have high hunting skills to make up for that. Also, fairy hunters are subconsciously drawn to the vast power that fairies possess.

There is one special fairy hunter born every five generations who is greater than the rest. This special fairy hunter is the only one that can match up to the special fairy (See page 169).

The fairy hunter's true origin is unknown, though there are stories told about it, the most common being:"

Sakura stopped there, turning back to page 169 to read about this "special fairy".

"Every five generations, a special fairy is born. Although not much is known about them, we do know that they are more powerful and intelligent than the average fairy."

Then, Sakura turned back to the page she had been on to read aloud the legend of the fairy hunters.

"Long ago, there was a young maiden by the name of Ying Hua. Her home was a small cottage in the forest, where she had lived all her life. Her companions were the birds and other animals of the forest. Ying Hua lived a peaceful life where days were filled with joy. Then, one day, Ying Hua met someone who changed her life forever. His name was Xiao Lang and he was a beautiful fairy. Everyday, Ying Hua would go to a secret clearing in the forest and meet with Xiao Lang. The two became very close and soon fell in love. Their happiness, or shall we say, Ying Hua 's happiness, did not last long. One fateful winter morning, Ying Hua came to their special meeting place as usual. She waited for an hour until Xiao Lang finally showed up. Wordlessly, Xiao Lang struck Ying Hua with a strange fairy magic and left her to die. Unfortunately for him, Ying Hua possessed a strong will to live. She managed to pull herself to her cottage and was healthy again in a mere month or so. Ying Hua appeared happy once more to all who knew her, but she alone knew Xiao Lang had changed her for the worse. Ying Hua now harbored a deep hatred for fairy-folk and a taste for revenge. The Fairies feared this hatred that would soon turn to dark, powerful magic so they enchanted Ying Hua and turned her into a hawk. For centuries, Ying Hua flew from place to place around the world, seeking a vassal that would suit her needs. She eventually found five young warriors to carry out her will to wipe out the fairy population. Those five have slowly came to form the vast people known today as the Fairy Hunters."

Sakura looked up from the book. "How sad!"

Nadeshiko nodded. "The truth is, your parents were on the run from fairy hunters which is why they left you in my care."

Sakura stared at Nadeshiko. "I wonder if they are alright."

Nadeshiko bit her lip. "I do too."

Sakura sat up straighter, her gaze flickering from Sonomi to Nadeshiko. "Thank you for telling me this now, I suppose."

Sonomi shook her head. "No, it's our fault we didn't tell you sooner." Sonomi stood up. "Come along, Tomoyo. We should be heading home now."

Tomoyo nodded soundlessly and rose to her feet. Turning around, Tomoyo hugged Sakura tightly. "Will you be okay, Saku-chan?"

Sakura smiled. "I think so. Thank you for worrying about me, Tomoyo-chan."

As Tomoyo followed Sonomi out of the hut, she turned back grinning. "Well, that's what friends are for."

Sakura nodded. "Thank you, Tomoyo. You truly are a wonderful friend."

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**Well, this chapter isn't too great either but... hang in there, okay? It should be getting better:)**

Cheers,  
Rem & Suzie


	3. Fire

**Rem: **I know, I know. It's been a while since the last chapter. I'M SO SORRY! -sigh- We've done the best that we could with this chapter, given the amount of time we had on our hands. The plot is starting to pick up a bit. I sense a meeting with someone important to the story soon -wink, wink- Haha, well just enjoy this chapter for now. Also, do read our new Tokyo Mew Mew story, if you can. The first chapter is pretty short, but I think it'll get better. Anyway, read on and enjoy x3

**Suzie:** YAY! Chapter 3 is up and running! I'm actually surprised me and Rem got this far to tell the truth :) This chapter is where it all the action begins and where the summary actually relates to the story. Also, before I forget, we have a new story called Love Again, a Tokyo Mew Mew fanfiction, and I would also appreciate it if you read it and reviewed it xD Oh, and, reviews for this story would be nice too!

**Disclamer: **CLAMP owns CCS, not us...

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-- CHAPTER THREE --  
_Fire_

Two girls were giggling in a secluded garden and picking foxgloves, wolfs bane, feverfew, saffron and other herbs for their aunt.

"Your 15th birthday is today, right Saku-chan?" asked a raven-haired girl.

"You already know, Tomoyo-chan." Sakura replied, smiling.

"Happy birthday!" Tomoyo squealed loudly.

Sakura arched her eyebrow, but replied, "Thanks, Tomoyo." Sakura paused for a moment before adding, "Even though you've already told me that many times today…"

"I know! But you look so kawaii at the age of 15!" Tomoyo grinned.

"Tomoyo, I look the same as I did yesterday. Besides, you tell me the same thing ever year!." Sakura retorted.

"But you have a special birthday shine that makes you even more beautiful!" Tomoyo remarked, brightly.

Sakura sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop Tomoyo from fawning over her. Sakura stood up, stretching her arms above her head. "We have enough herbs for Aunt Sonomi now. Let's go back to the village," Sakura said with a yawn.

Tomoyo rose to her feet and replied, "I think so too, let's go."

---

The two friends made their way towards the village, chatting along the way.

"When we get back home, I have a surprise for you!" Tomoyo said excitedly.

Sakura squealed, "Your surprises are always so good! I can't wait!"

Right after she said this, a scream came from the distance, and the smell of smoke wafted through the air. Tomoyo and Sakura stared at each other in horror before dropping their baskets and racing towards their village.

As they got closer they could hear more screams, crying babies, and the crackling sound of… fire. Realization made the two girl's eyes go wide. Picking up speed, they kept running until the heat became unbearable. Shielding their faces from the flames, Sakura and Tomoyo glanced around wildly, seeing fire, destruction, and ruins everywhere.

Suddenly, Tomoyo spotted someone coming towards them. Yanking a protesting Sakura behind a pile of rubble, Tomoyo placed her hand over Sakura's mouth and hissed, "Someone's coming!"

Sakura shut her mouth immediately when she heard that, and taking Tomoyo's lead, peered at the person they were hiding from.

From where they were crouching, the two girls could see a man with chestnut brown hair who was dressed in a green leather jacket and brown pants. Unfortunately, his back was turned to the girls, and they couldn't see his face.

The man calmly observed the chaos around him. He took his torch and lit everything that was not already burning on fire.

"This is what you get for hiding a fairy from us fairy hunters," the man spit out, venomously.

Sakura's eyes widened, and she turned to look at Tomoyo, who had the same expression on her face. _How did this man know there was a fairy in the village?_

After a few more minutes, Tomoyo peered around the corner again. Seeing no one, she tapped Sakura's shoulder. Sakura got the message and they crept out from their hiding place cautiously.

As the two girls were walking through the burned-down village, rain began pouring down, slowly increasing in intensity. Sakura and Tomoyo looked around, gaping, as the rain smothered the remaining flames. Quickly following, a wave of anguish hit both of them when they saw the ashes and mess around them.

Each of the two ran to their respective houses and they franticly searched through the ashes looking for something, anything!

Lightning flashed and Sakura, through her tears, saw a glimmer of metal in the dull ashes. Rushing to it, she bent down and saw a ring - not just any ring though. This was Nadeshiko's wedding ring. More tears came flowing from Sakura's eyes as she picked it, clutching it to her chest, knowing Nadeshiko would never willingly part with it.

After searching for a couple more minutes searching in the darkness, and finding nothing, Sakura slowly plodded over to where Tomoyo was, both of them dripping wet. "Tomo-chan! All I could find was Mother's wedding ring," Sakura said with a trembling voice, holding back tears that threatened to burst out again. "Did you find anything?"

With tears in her eyes, Tomoyo smiled sadly. "Look, this wasyour present." It was pieces of cloth, all which remained of what once was a beautiful dress. Amidst the charred black, Sakura could see moss green, pink embroidering, and sakura blossoms decorating it.

Sakura began crying again. "Oh, it's still beautiful. Thank you, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo sniffled, but smiled. "Your welcome, Sakura. I'm sorry I couldn't give it to you when it was still in good condition. Oh, and I also found something else..."

Tomoyo grabbed Sakura's hand, and led her to the center of the house, pointing at a trapdoor.

Sakura gasped. "I wonder what's in there…"

Tomoyo shrugged. "I don't know. I never even knew it existed. I haven't gone down there yet, I was waiting for you." With that, Tomoyo grasped the door and pulled it open, jumping in afterwards. Sakura did the same, jumping in after Tomoyo.

---

Peering around in the gloom, the girls could see baskets strewn all over the ground, as well as broken jars and other things. As they looked around, Sakura spotted a scrap of paper with words scrawled on it.

Picking it up, Sakura exclaimed excitedly, "Look, Tomoyo-chan! I found a piece of paper with writing on it!"

Tomoyo hurried over to where Sakura was. "Can you read what it says?" she asked.

Sakura shook her head. "No… it's too dark. But how are we going to get back up?" Sakura frowned anxiously.

Tomoyo stared at the light coming in through the open door. "I'll boost you up first, and then you can pull me up, okay?"

Sakura nodded. "Okay."

Tomoyo stuffed the piece of paper in her pocket and crouched down, putting her hand together to make a platform. Sakura cautiously placed her feet on Tomoyo's hands, while Tomoyo pushed her up. Sakura quickly latched onto the edge of the "hole" and pulled herself up.

Lying down so she wouldn't fall, Sakura reached her hands in and clutched Tomoyo's hands. Finally getting a firm grip, Sakura pulled Tomoyo up hastily.

Tomoyo sighed, and fell onto the ground, panting. Pulling the piece of paper out of her pocket, she handed it to Sakura. "Here, you read it."

Sakura nodded and looked at the paper, a frown appearing on her face. The parchment was soaked and the ink was running together. "It's too wet now, I can't read it. Who do you think wrote this?"

"I don't know. It could have been from people who lived here before or maybe someone else," Tomoyo answered, shrugging.

Sakura was quiet for a while, before bursting into tears, sobbing heavily. "Where do you think Mama, and Auntie, and Onii-chan are, Tomoyo?"

Tomoyo started crying, too. "I don't know. They might be…" Tomoyo trailed off, not wanting to think of the possibility.

Sakura understood, and began crying harder. "Oh Tomoyo…"

Tomoyo closed her eyes, but knew they would have to go on, no matter what. Helping Sakura to her feet, Tomoyo murmured, "Come on, Saku-chan. We have to think of what we would do now."

Sakura nodded, and glanced up at the sky. "Maybe we could travel as herbalists? We know a lot about it, and Aunt Sonomi always said we were good at it."

"Sakura…" Tomoyo looked doubtful. "We've never really had any experience, and who in their right minds would want to be healed by 15 year-olds?"

"Well…" Sakura stammered, flustered. "I don't know… but it's an idea."

Tomoyo sighed. "I'm not sure it's going to work out, but we have no other choice. Let's head to Kalktho then. It's only a half-day walk, and we can get supplies there."

Sakura nodded slowly.

Tomoyo continued, looking down at her ruined clothing. "We should probably get going then. We're not exactly in the best state."

Sakura said nothing, but only nodded again.

Tomoyo sighed and hugged her best friend. "It'll be okay, Sakura. I'm sure Mama and Auntie are somewhere safe. We have to get going, so we can find them, right?

Sakura looked at Tomoyo. "Yeah," She finally replied. "Let's go."

With that, two 15 year-old girls who had just lost everything, started on a journey that would be invigorating and more exciting than they would have ever imagined, though also filled with new acquaintances, old friends, and dreadful decisions.

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**We're sorry it's such a short chapter again! x(  
**

**Cheers,  
Rem & Suzie**


	4. Kalktho

**Rem: **Well, here it is. Finally. I'm sorry! We've been busy and all that and... yeah. As Suzie mentions, hopefully the next chapter will take less time to finish. Anyway, thank you for all your nice reviews! They really keep us going here :D As for any questions you have, hopefully they'll be answered soon >.> For now, enjoy this new chapter at least!

**Suzie: **Sorry that it took so long but at last we have updated! The next chapter should come sooner since we've already started it but who knows. It could take longer than this one... though i certainly hope not sighs Even though it's winter break, I feel no inspiration whatsoever. So, even though I have more time, I don't actually do anything so... yeah. Don't expect anything!

**Disclamer: **CLAMP owns CCS, not us x.X

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--CHAPTER FOUR--  
_Kalktho_

In the dark, still night, Tomoyo and Sakura finally reached the outskirts of the town, Kalktho. Gasping in relief, they paused, sitting down without caring that they were dirtying their already ragged dresses with mud and dirt.

"We finally made it! It never seemed so far and tiring when we went on village fairs," Sakura panted.

"Yes, well, we always rode on carriages to come here before…that should count for something," Tomoyo retorted, rolling her eyes.

"I suppose so," Sakura replied, blushing.

When they were done resting, Sakura stood and strode boldly into the town square with Tomoyo trying to hold her back. However, that was unnecessary, for when they arrived, no one was there – everyone was still in their houses sleeping.

Tomoyo glanced at Sakura skeptically. "Did you expect everyone to be here waiting for your grand appearance?"

"No, of course not…" Sakura said, laughing weakly. It was terribly obvious that she was lying.

"Sure… whatever you say, Sakura," Tomoyo murmured, laughter in her eyes.

Tomoyo's face turned serious again. "What are we going to do until morning? We can't just walk up to someone's house in the middle of the night demanding shelter."

Sakura looked down sheepishly. "I forget where the people live anyway."

Tomoyo's eyes widened at that. "What are we going to do now?" Tomoyo asked, feeling distressed.

"Look the sun is coming over the horizon!" Sakura said excitedly, hoping to distract Tomoyo. Both girls watched to see the first rays of sunlight turning the sky a kaleidoscope of pink, red, purple, and other vivid colors.

"How beautiful…" Sakura murmured, both she and Tomoyo feeling calm, forgetting their troubles for a moment.

The creak of an opening door jolted Sakura and Tomoyo out of their reverie. They turned around quickly to see where the noise was coming from. Finally, Tomoyo spotted a young girl peeking out from an open door.

Seeing the girl, both friends relaxed slightly. Tomoyo asked kindly, "What's your name?"

When the girl heard Tomoyo's voice, she came out, studying her with curiosity-filled brown eyes. "I'm Chiharu Mihara, nice to meet 'cha!" Chiharu jumped up and down gleefully, her pink kimono swishing, braided brown hair bouncing. "What are your names?"

"I'm Tomoyo Daidouji and this young lady next to me is Sakura Kinomoto."

"Where are your parents?" Sakura asked curiously. "Why are you out so early?"

Chiharu blushed, her cheeks turning a slight pink. "My parents are sleeping and as to what I was doing… I 'd rather not say. But the question that should be asked is what are _you _two doing here?"

"Well… our village got burned down… we're the only survivors," Sakura said coolly.

Chiharu stared at Sakura, jaw dropped. "HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT SO CASUALLY!"

Sakura looked embarrassed. "Sorry?", she squeaked.

"So who are your parents?" Tomoyo asked politely.

"My father is the village leader and my mother is a baker."

Sakura and Tomoyo looked at each other, smiling brightly, each thinking the same thing. This was going to be easier than they thought.

"May we speak with them?" Tomoyo asked hopefully.

"Sure! I think they should be awake by now," Chiharu said, motioning for Tomoyo and Sakura to follow her.

"Mother, Father! I have some guests!" Chiharu called out loudly.

"This early in the morning?" A feminine voice was heard from upstairs.

"I found them standing outside this morning. They asked to see you," Chiharu replied as a young woman with flowing black hair and gray-blue eyes came down the wooden stairs.

"Hello. I'm Sayami Mihara, Chiharu's mother," Sayami greeted Sakura and Tomoyo with a warm smile.

"Hi! I'm Sakura Kinomoto and this is Tomoyo Daidouji," Sakura said, pointing to first herself, then Tomoyo.

"So you wanted to see me?" Sayami asked.

Sakura and Tomoyo nodded. Together, they began telling Sayami of the event that happened the previous day – the fire.

"Oh my goodness!" Sayami gasped when Sakura and Tomoyo were finished speaking. "Of course you are welcome in our house!"

"We really appreciate your hospitality," Sakura said with a grin on her face.

Sakura looked down when she felt a tug on her arm. It was Chiharu, smiling brightly.

"Come on! I'll show you my room," Chiharu said excitedly, dragging Sakura and Tomoyo up the stairs. Sayami watched the three girls leave with a smile on her face.

---

In Chiharu's room, Sakura and Tomoyo looked around, a surprised expression on their faces. All they could see was colors, colors, colors – bright colors, to be exact. There were rugs on the ground and tapestries on the walls depicting all kinds of moments from heroic to romantic to horrific. Blankets and pillows were scattered around the room, their colors so vivid it was almost blinding. Though the brightness did not seem to bother Chiharu, Sakura and Tomoyo had to shield their eyes from the colors.

"What's wrong?" Chiharu asked worriedly when she saw what Sakura and Tomoyo were doing.

"So… bright…," Sakura answered, her voice strained.

"Huh? Oh… right… sorry. I just like to collect embroidery and needle work. Though most of them are really bright colors, I got used to it," Chiharu responded.

"How… strange," Tomoyo commented, arching one eyebrow.

"Uh, thanks for the compliment," muttered Chiharu, rolling her eyes.

"Your welcome," said Sakura smiled toothily, "So, can we talk to your parents now?"

"Sure! Follow me. I'll show you where the kitchen is, my mom and dad should be in there," Chiharu said happily, skipping down the hall.

---

Sayami was sitting in the kitchen when the three girls got there. "Hello girls," Sayami greeted. "Chiharu, why don't you introduce your father to Sakura and Tomoyo?"

"Where is father?" Chiharu asked, looking around.

"He's in the living room."

"Okay. Come on, let's go. You can talk to him about what you need," said Chiharu as she took Sakura and Tomoyo's hands, leading them to the living room.

When they arrived at the living room, Tomoyo and Sakura immediately noticed a young, black-haired man looking over some tax books.

"Good morning, Daddy!" Chiharu said, running over to give him a hug. "I want you to meet my new friends. That's Sakura Kinomoto," Chiharu pointed to Sakura, "…and that's Tomoyo Daidouji," Chiharu pointed to Tomoyo.

"Nice to meet you, Kinomoto-san, Daidouji-san. My name is Haru Mihara," The man, Chiharu's father, said in a warm voice. "I hope you have enjoyed your stay so far."

"Yes, your house is very nice and Chiharu's room is… colorful, to say the least." Tomoyo said with a slight smile on her face.

"Ah, yes. Chiharu has quite a habit of collecting bright things."

"I'm still here in case you didn't notice," interrupted Chiharu, getting quite annoyed that they were talking like she wasn't there.

"Where are your manners, Chiharu?" asked Haru sternly, frowning.

"Sorry," Chiharu said meekly, looking down at her feet.

"I apologize for my daughter's behavior," Haru said.

"Its fine," Tomoyo answered. "Anyway, Sakura and I have a request to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"We were wondering if you would lend us a medicine cart and a horse," Tomoyo answered hopefully, only to have her hopes crushed when Haru answered.

"No."

"WHAT! Why not?" Sakura yelled desperately.

"Well, our budget wouldn't allow it," Haru answered calmly, pointing at the tax books on his desk. "We are currently stretching our limits already. We couldn't possibly spare a cart, much less a cart _and_ a horse."

Feeling dejected, Tomoyo asked, "Well, where is the closest village from here?"

"The village Taith, a half days walk south of here."

"That's where we came from though." Sakura sighed.

"What are you girls doing here then?" Haru asked, eyeing the girls suspiciously.

Tomoyo and Sakura proceeded to tell of what had happened to their village to yet another person. "Well, there's another village east of. It's only a day's walk away." Haru told them.

"Thank you. I guess we will be on our way." Tomoyo bowed politely.

"No, no. Stay the night," Haru said quickly. "I'm sorry. We really can't afford to lose a cart and horse but the least we can do for you is let you stay here for a few nights."

"Thank you." Sakura followed Tomoyo's lead, bowing also.

"Here, I'll show you around the village!" Chiharu bounced up and down eagerly.

"Chiharu! Our guests must be tired. Let them rest first."

"No, it's alright. We would love to see the town," assured Sakura.

"Yes. If it's alright with you, we would certainly enjoy touring the town. We haven't been here in two years," Tomoyo smiled.

Just then, Sayami walked in carrying baskets. "I found these at the door. Are they yours?"

"Huh? Oh! Our herbs!" Sakura exclaimed.

"So where do you want these?" Sayami asked.

"We'll take them with us," Tomoyo answered, taking the baskets from Sayami. "Come on, let's go."

The three girls went out the front door, Chiharu already chattering away, pointing at everything they saw.

* * *

**Happy Holidays! **

Cheers,  
Rem & Suzie


	5. MatchMaking

**Suzie:** Sooooo sorry this took so long to post. It was meant to be a Valentine post but you can see how well that turned out to be. I hope that no one is mad at us. We are currently working on the next chapter but the school year just started and they are already working us to the bone so I dont know when we can post up the next chapter.

**Rem: **Gah. Like Suzie said, yes, we started this chapter... Practically just a little less than a year ago... how sad it that. Well. Since V-day is so over... this is now... a... LABOR DAY SPECIAL! Posted a day before Labor Day! Kekeke. Have fun with this! We'll try to get chapters up quicker than what our speed is at the moment. However, yes, school... is here... cry Eh. Enjoy the chapter!**  
**

**Disclamer: **CCS is the sole property of CLAMP. This story is the sole property of us.

* * *

--CHAPTER FIVE--_  
Match-Making_

Stepping over the threshold of Chiharu's house, Sakura and Tomoyo were met by a wave of noise. Sakura and Tomoyo staggered back, feeling slightly overwhelmed. "Wow, where did all these people come from?" Sakura asked, surprised at the bustle of people passing by. "They weren't here when we first arrived."

Chiharu came out from behind them, "You didn't know? Today is the annual Fitchi Festival! Everyone's here preparing for it!"

"I remember this! We came here two years ago, remember, Sakura?" Tomoyo exclaimed happily. "It was so much fun!"

"Well, that's what it's all about! Having FUN!" Chiharu squealed.

"Woah there, calm down," Sakura giggled.

Chiharu whacked Sakura on the shoulder playfully. "So what did you guys do while you were here?" she asked.

"Oh the usual…" Sakura trailed off with a weird smile on her face.

"Oh, I remember that year -- there were two people who went absolutely crazy!" stated Chiharu, chuckling. "It was actually pretty funny.

"That's what you think! I was so emba-," Sakura turned bright red, covering her mouth with her hands so no more betraying words could escape her.

"You mean it was YOU TWO?" Chiharu gasped, her hands flying to her mouth, trying to hold in the laughter that was fighting to break free. Finally, Chiharu burst out laughing so hard, tears were filling up in her eyes. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!"

"It's not funny," Sakura frowned, crossing her arms.

"Yes it is," Chiharu gasped out between peals of laughter.

"No it isn't, now come on, let's go." Tomoyo said sternly, glaring at Chiharu.

"Killjoy," Chiharu muttered as she readjusted herself, brushing off her kimono.

"What was that?" Tomoyo asked, eyeing Chiharu.

"Nothing," Chiharu said laughing weakly.

"Riiight…" Sakura giggled. "Well, anyway, weren't you going to show us the town?" she asked

"Follow me and make sure you don't get lost because there are desperate people out there…" Chiharu stated ominously, locking eyes with Sakura, then Tomoyo. Then, in a blink of an eye, Chiharu's whole demeanor changed and she chirped, "Don't worry, be happy!"

Sakura and Tomoyo both sweat dropped. Chiharu grasped their hands and started to drag them through the crowds. "Coming through, move it, out of the way!" she yelled, shoving people to get past. Sakura and Tomoyo quickly apologized to the irritated people they passed. Finally, Chiharu came to a stop and grandly gestured behind her. "First stop, the market place! The busiest place in the whole town."

"Isn't that the situation for all towns?" Sakura asked, smirking.

"Well… yeah, but just go with what I'm saying. Okay?"

"Sure, sure."

"Chiharu!" a voice called out. All three girls turned around to see a black haired teenager with squinty eyes. Sakura looked back at Chiharu and witnessed her cheeks turning a faint pink. A wide Cheshire cat-like smile spread across Sakura's face.

"Chiharu," Sakura practically purred. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Wha- OH! Th-this is my best friend, Takashi Yamazaki," stammered Chiharu, her face red as a tomato. "Um, this is Sakura Kinomoto and this is Tomoyo Daidouji, my new friends, and we – uh – have to go now!"

"Wait!" Yamazaki called out.

Chiharu turned around with a seemingly hopeful look on her face, "Yes?"

"Did you know that- OW!" Yamazaki whimpered as he covered a rapidly growing bump on his head.

"And also, did I forget to mention that he is a dirty, horrible liar!" Chiharu said through clenched teeth. "I don't want you to defile my new friends with your lies," she huffed, her hands planted on her hips. "They agree with me, right? Sakura?"

"Um, sure… whatever you say, Chiharu," Sakura answered, looking at Chiharu uncertainly.

"See, Yamazaki-kun! I told you so!" Chiharu said, sticking out her tongue.

Yamazaki then pointed his pointer finger up, and said smiling, "Did you know that the origin of sticking out your tongue comes from Egypt when it got so hot that…," Yamazaki continued babbling as Chiharu dragged him away.

"Umm…" Sakura and Tomoyo just stared after them. "When do you think they will be back?"

"I have no idea," Sakura answered, "but we should take the chance to look around. C'mon!"

Happily, the two girls walked along, taking in everything with wonder. Then, just as they reached the busiest area in the whole festival, an interesting sight caught their eyes. An old-fashioned horse carriage festooned with red, pink, and white ribbons and little paper hearts scattered around the door was sitting on an old dirt path. Sakura said, "Let's go see what that is!" and grabbed Tomoyo's hand, dragging her along.

"Excuse me," Sakura said, "what is this for?"

"You don't know?" asked the elderly man surprised. "This is a ride for couples to have some 'alone' time."

Tomoyo and Sakura turned to look at each other and smirked. They continued talking to the old man for a little while before walking away.

The two spotted Chiharu and Yamazaki fairly quickly. Sakura said cheerfully, "So tell us about this festival that everyone is so excited about," while subtly steering them towards a certain direction. Yamazaki and Chiharu started chatting about the people, the food, the entertainers and more, paying no attention to where they were headed.

"Let's go on this ride!" Sakura exclaimed when they arrived at the coach.

"I'm sorry ma'am but this ride is only for couples," the elderly man winked at Sakura. "But… you two young things could ride this."

"Yes, why don't you!" Tomoyo gushed pushing Chiharu and Yamazaki into the balloon-filled carriage. Before either Chiharu or Yamazaki could start protesting, the old man drove away.

"THINK OF THIS AS A FAVOR!" Sakura yelled after the carriage. Tomoyo laughed, as the two friends shared a high-five.

---

Yamazaki fidgeted around in his seat, looking extremely uncomfortable.

Chiharu spoke up, "So, um..." Chiharu stared down at her shoes.

Yamazaki's face turned a light shade of pink, though this was unbeknown to Chiharu. Clearing his throat, Yamazaki asked, "So, how are you enjoying the Festival so far?"

Chiharu momentarily forgot about the situation at hand, as her head snapped up to face Yamazaki. Eyes shining, face flushed, Chiharu gushed, "Oh! It's been sooo fun! Everything has been awesome! I--" Chiharu stopped talking abruptly, face reddening. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry."

Yamazaki blinked, confused and completely unaware of what was bothering Chiharu. "Why are you sorry?"

Chiharu shook her head, gnawing at her lower lip, "Um, well, Yamazaki-kun, we've been friends for a long time, right...?"

Yamazaki nodded, not knowing where this was heading.

"Um, well, I would definitely consider you my bestest friend too and..." Chiharu paused uncomfortably. "...I like you a lot, you know."

Yamazaki smiled. "I like you too, Chiharu-chan!"

Chiharu's eyes widened, and she grinned. "Wow, really? You do? I mean, I didn't know you felt that way?"

Yamazaki looked confused once more. "What do you mean? Of course I like you! You're my best friend in the whole world!" Yamazaki beamed.

Chiharu's smile faltered. "No, Yamazaki-kun... that's... not what I mean..."

"What?"

"Yamazaki-kun... I... I... I lo-"

Just then, the carriage came to a stop. The old man yelled, "Okay, that's it! Out you go, kids!"

As they were stepping out of the carriage, Yamazaki asked Chiharu, "So what were you going to say?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. I was just going to ask when the ride was over…," Chiharu responded, smiling weakly.

"Ok…" Yamazaki said uncertainly. "Hey, Chiharu-chan, Kinomoto-san and Daidouji-san are right over there! Let's go."

As Chiharu and Yamazaki were walking towards Sakura and Tomoyo, three drum beats echoed through the air. Sakura and Tomoyo looked around, trying to spot the drums, but to no avail.

"What was that?" Sakura asked when she saw Chiharu and Yamazaki.

"That was the signal for… THE DANCE!" Chiharu squealed. "C'mon!" she said, dragging all three, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Yamazaki behind her.

They arrived at the town square to see that it had been transformed since the last time they were there. Colored lights were strewn around the area and confetti littered the floor. There was a stage for the fiddlers, and food tables were set up along the wall of a building, creating enticing scents.

Before they could set foot upon the square, a girl jumped on Yamazaki's back, her brown hair fluffing around her face. "Hey Taka-kun!"

Sakura and Tomoyo looked at her curiously before noticing Chiharu's fuming face. "Who's this?" Tomoyo asked.

"Rika Sasaki, Yamakazi-kun's _girlfriend_," Chiharu said through clenched teeth, her face murderous.

"WHAT!" Sakura and Tomoyo both yelled in surprise, seeing the forlorn look on Chiharu's face.

---

As the night progressed, Chiharu spent most her time on a haystack away from the bonfire, silently sipping her hot cider. As footsteps approached, Chiharu looked up to see Yamazaki standing next to her. Mumbling a greeting, she asked where Rika was.

"Oh, over there somewhere," Yamazaki said flapping his hand somewhere behind him.

"How come she's there and you're here?"

"Oh, she just dumped me."

"How can you say that so casually?" Chiharu asked, eyes wide.

"Because I was planning to break up with her tonight anyway. Did you know that at dancing first originated in Africa where they believed dancing would banish evil spirits?"

"Mmm, how interesting."

Surprised that Chiharu didn't pinch his ear or something like that, Yamazaki asked if anything was the matter, worry apparent in his dark eyes.

"Nothing's wrong," murmured, a little smile on her face. "I'm just kind of cold."

"Then dance with me near the fire! It'll be sure to warm you up." Taking Chiharu's hand, Yamazaki led her to the dancing circle where they began dancing to a fast-paced song, surrounded by others, twirling and passing partners around just to end up back where they started.

The next song was a slow one, meant for couples.

Both of them stood there uncertainly, their faces red not just from the warmth of dancing.

"Uh, um, I'll just go back to the haystack…" Chiharu slowly started to back away when suddenly, Yamazaki grabbed her wrist.

"Will you, um, dance with me on this song?"

"What a smooth talker _you_ are," Chiharu said sarcastically, grinning.

"Just say yes!"

"Okay, okay, jeeze, no need to rush me. Yes, I will gladly dance with you." Wrapping her hands around Yamazaki's neck, Chiharu rested her head on his shoulder

Right in the middle of the song, Chiharu heard Yamazaki whisper to her, "Will you be my girlfriend? I've always wanted you to be."

Startled, she drew back and asked in a uncertain tone, "Are you serious?"

"Very."

Drawing a deep breath, Chiharu murmured, "Yes."

---

Sakura and Tomoyo were both watching Chiharu and Yamazaki.

"Do ya think one of 'em asked the other?" Sakura asked Tomoyo.

"I can't tell."

"Hmm… oh! Look at that. It seems like he's asking something and… she's nodding!"

"Finally!" a voice behind them said. They turned around to see Rika smiling ruefully.

"I thought you were his girlfriend," Tomoyo said to her.

"Well, I did it just to make Chiharu jealous so she would tell Taka-kun about her feelings but it wasn't working so I broke up with him," explained Rika.

"Well isn't this just dandy! Oh look! They're kissing!" exclaimed Sakura, clapping her hands gleefully.

The festival came to a close just as the dawn was approaching. Everywhere, people were stumbling home, drunk on happiness and wine. When Sakura and Tomoyo were sure Chiharu was asleep, they whispered their good-byes and slipped outside where the sun was just peeking out behind the mountains.

* * *

**Heehee. Cute, eh? ;D See you next time! PS. Happy Labor Day!  
**

**Cheers,  
Rem & Suzie**


	6. Chance Meeting

**Suzie: **Sorry for the late update! Ehehe... not that thats unusual or anything though... sigh. That's what happens when there is no deadlines... To make up for the late updates, we have a treat for you fans in the next chapter or the next next chapter -- depending on how soon we finish it. Its really crappy - like this chapter - but it's something! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Oh, and, feel free to review. And if you happen to have any advice/ideas, we'll take those too :D  
**  
Rem: **Very late -- yet again. Yes, it has been pretty much a year since we last updated! We are very sorry for our (my, actually) slowness! Like Suze said, without deadlines, procrastination takes over and places things lower on the priority list than they should be. We are indeed busy with schoolwork too but that is absolutely no excuse for our lateness, I assure you... Yes, we do have a little something in store that we've been working on for a while... it is kinda crappeh (while this chapter is certainly NOT! It's awesome cackles) it may be amusing/interesting... at least you can laugh over its crappiness D8 Ehehe. Enough of my rambling x.x Go on with the reading! It moves the story along a bit though still nothing really exciting has happened... oh, but just you wait.. nyehehe... Lol, I'll stop wasting your time (if you guys even read these, that is) Review, please? They are wonderful, wonderful motivators for us and we love hearing from you readers! Fans, haters, regardless! No flaming, please, so... if you have advice/ideas/criticism to help us improve, that's great! If you are just flat out wanting to insult us... yeah, just go away. No one's interested in those comments! D: Ack, I'm still rambling. Just stop listening to me, go read! Read! Read! x3  
**  
Disclamer:** CCS and all its characters belong to CLAMP and only CLAMP D: We claim no ownership.

* * *

-- CHAPTER SIX --  
_Chance Meeting_

Strolling. Marching. Striding. Ambling. Moving your legs at a leisurely pace. Whatever name you use, it all boiled down to walking. Which was all Sakura and Tomoyo seemed to be doing these days.

"I thought the nearest village was only a day's walk from Kalktho through this forest!" Sakura whined.

"So did I," Tomoyo frowned.

"I hope were not lost," Sakura said, pouting.

"Um… well… I hate to break it to you but… um…" Tomoyo nervously curled a lock of hair around her finger.

"Oh no, don't tell me…" Sakura looked upon Tomoyo with wide eyes.

"Let's just say… we've happened to see that tree stump more than once… at least three times… or maybe five. And that I also happen not to know which direction east is…"

"UGH!" In her frustration, Sakura kicked the traitorous tree stump. _That_, however, only succeeded in stubbing her toe, which in turn made her mood from bad to worse. "What have I ever done to you?" she yelled up towards the lush, green foliage overhead.

Just then, Sakura snapped her fingers, eyes lit up. "I just remembered this thing I heard one time… that moss on trees grow in a certain direction! Now if I could just remember _which_ direction…"

"Oh, I remember something like that too," Tomoyo said, hope in her eyes. "I think it grew… um… south…"

"No… I thought it was west," Sakura said, puzzled.

"Well—," Tomoyo was suddenly cut off by a high-pitched scream that pierced the quiet atmosphere of the forest. It was followed by a loud thump. Exchanging puzzled glances, Sakura and Tomoyo rushed towards the noise. As they got close, they could hear bits and pieces of an argument.

"OW! Watch it! I thought you said you knew what you were doing!" a man was bellowing angrily.

"I've watched someone do it before, isn't that enough?" a different man said in a lazy tone.

"No, that isn't enough! Let me do this! I probably could do this better than you can!" the other man snapped back.

Tomoyo and Sakura looked at each other with curious expressions on their faces. They hid behind bushes and watched a black haired man with glasses hand over two sticks and bandages to a man with chestnut-brown hair, whose arm seemed to be bent at an odd angle. Sakura thought the hair of the second man seemed quite familiar but couldn't place where she had seen it before.

Sakura and Tomoyo knew it was discourteous to laugh at others misfortunes but they couldn't help but to start giggling as they watched the brown haired man try to set his broken arm by himself. He was using his other arm and teeth to try and wrap the bandages around his arm, but the sticks kept slipping and he couldn't keep his arm straight. Soon enough, he was desperate enough to try to use his feet too.

"Damn it! Eriol, help me!" he yelled to the guy with glasses.

"I thought you said you could do this better than me, Syaoran," Eriol said calmly, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Sakura couldn't help it. She burst out laughing. Clutching her sides, she laughed until tears ran down her face. Soon, Tomoyo was laughing as well, the sight was just _too_ funny. They both tried to regain their breath, but that only made them laugh harder and it didn't help seeing Syaoran and Eriol's incredulous expressions either.

"Wh-who are you people?!" Syaoran demanded to know, embarrassed that two girls had witnessed him in this helpless _and_ silly-looking position.

"I-I-I-I…" Tomoyo tried to speak but was consumed by another fit of giggles, as was Sakura.

In the midst of a laugh, Sakura tried to calm Tomoyo and herself down by saying, "Okay, deep breaths, Tomoyo, deep breaths," However, that only seemed to make them laugh even harder!

"Hey! Girls! I asked who you are!" Syaoran yelled at them impatiently.

"You're so noisy," Eriol smirked.

"Y-You just shut up."

"And you've got a temper too."

"Who asked you?!"

While they were having this argument, Tomoyo eyed them with amusement, now having calmed down quite a bit.

"If you're still interested, boys, I'm Tomoyo Daidouji and this is Sakura Kinomoto."

"N-Nice to m-meet y-you," Sakura sputtered, barely able to conceal her laughter.

She looked up and was startled to see Syaoran's deep-brown eyes staring straight at her. At that split second when her eyes met his, images flashed before Sakura in her mind and feelings unfamiliar to her nearly ripped her apart.

_The smell of grass in the morning_

_A clearing in a forest covered in dew_

_A figure standing near a pine tree, beckoning her_

_An evil presence clouding her senses_

_Pain…_

_Sorrow…_

_Regret…_

_Loneliness…_

_Powers greater than she had _ever_ imagined_

The unreal experience was over in a second though it had felt like forever. Sakura's fuzzy vision sharpened and she was surprised to see that the expression on Syaoran's face exactly mirrored the emotions she was feeling.

Syaoran seemed to have recovered from whatever was going on within him and instinctively stuck his hand out for the girls to shake but then winced in pain. He was instantly reminded of his broken arm.

"Oh! What happened to your arm?" Sakura asked.

"I fell down the hill over there and landed on my arm really hard," Syaoran said gesturing off to somewhere with his good arm.

"Oh… was that the girly scream we heard?" Tomoyo asked sweetly.

Eriol nodded with a smirk on his face.

Syaoran sent Eriol a threatening look and declared with a haughty expression on his face, "NO! I never scream because I am the mighty (pause for effect) SYAORAN."

"Um, y'know, me and Tomoyo could fix your arm," Sakura said softly, hoping that Syaoran would believe her. Unfortunately, he did not.

"You're only, like, what, 13? 14? You expect me to believe that two pipsqueaks like you can fix my arm?"

"Hey! For your information, we are 15 – what about you?" Tomoyo exclaimed angrily with her hands on her hips. "We saw you _trying_ to set your arm and you're, like, the same age as us. It's not like we can do worse than you can!"

"Well, I'm 16 – that's one year older than you and I have taken courses for situations like this which I totally doubt that you and that girl have," Syaoran retorted, pointing at Sakura as he said 'that girl'.

This enraged Tomoyo even more and she snapped, "We have names, you know! You probably forgot them along with your manners, though!"

"Uh-um, it was only a suggestion…" Sakura was becoming flustered, trying to calm Tomoyo down while the argument got even hotter.

Then Eriol calmly walked in front of Syaoran and slapped him. "It's not nice to yell at ladies."

The slap shocked both Tomoyo and Syaoran into silence, especially Syaoran whose eyes grew round as saucers and jaw dropped open.

He started to splutter in anger as Eriol said, "Just let them try. It won't be any worse than _you're_ attempt."

"B-but, _look_ at them! They're so… so… well, you know!"

"Actually, no, I don't know."

"Fine…" Syaoran grumbled, accepting defeat. Pouting he stuck his arm out to Tomoyo, but the movement made him howl in pain.

"You shouldn't have done that," Tomoyo said, frowning and tsking at him.

"Oh just shut up and fix my arm before I change my mind," said Syaoran grumpily.

"Fine, whatever," Tomoyo said huffily while gently taking his arm. "Sakura! Come help me," she directed.

While Sakura made a potion to ease the pain, Tomoyo got the supplies ready.

/_ ladedum…hohum…some time passes _/

"There you go!" Sakura said brightly, tapping the makeshift cast, feeling the happy feeling she always felt when she was able to help someone. "You should definitely get it checked by a real doctor in a city, though, to get a real cast."

"I'm… sorry I underestimated you," Syaoran said. He blushed and looked down at his feet.

"It's understandable," Sakura reassured him.

"So how were you able to fix it so well? I mean… it's one of the best I've ever seen!"

"Well, I was apprenticed to the village herbalist."

"Why are you out here then?"

Before Sakura could say anything, Tomoyo butted in with, "We're visiting some friends."

Syaoran thought he detected signs of a lie in Tomoyo's smooth smile but left it alone. "So where are you headed?" He asked.

"Why do we have to tell you?" Tomoyo remarked snobbishly. Then she added meekly, "Although, you _could_ tell me where east is…"

Syoaran smirked as he said, "Just over yonder."

"I assume that you're going to Kalktho if you're heading east, no?" added Eriol. "It's the nearest town east even though it takes five days of walking to get there."

Tomoyo and Sakura both stared at him in horror. Sakura wailed, "You mean to say that we were heading in the wrong direction all this time?"

"I _told_ you we shouldn't have asked that drunken straggler from the festival!" Tomoyo scolded Sakura.

"But he seemed like such an honest person."

Tomoyo looked at Sakura weirdly but didn't say anything.

Turning to Eriol, Tomoyo asked, "What is the nearest town from here?"

"If you head north-west for about two days you should arrive at a town." Eriol answered pointing in the right direction.

"So where are _you_ two headed then?" Sakura asked.

"Home." Sakura waited for Eriol to elaborate but it was clear he wasn't going to.

"Um, okay, we'll just be on our way then…" Sakura nervously waved her hand and turned around to face the direction she and Tomoyo would be going. With that, they parted ways, Sakura and Tomoyo going north-west while Syaoran and Eriol headed in another direction, all of them believing they would never see the other two ever again.

Little did they know…

* * *

**HAPPY 2007! A bit late but... eh, it's the thought that counts, no? ;)  
**

**Cheers,  
Rem & Suzie  
**


	7. The Hunters

**Suzie: **Hi. Sorry this took so long (again...) but it was finished early, it's just that Rem forgot about posting it. What a ditz. Lol. JK, JK. So I hope you enjoy this chapter and remember, every story must have a stupid character for comic relief (you will soon understand).

**Rem: **Ditzy? Me? Psh, please. Lol. (Who am I kidding? XD) I still think it ought to be comedic relief, by the way... lol... so, well, at least the chapter's posted now! Nod, nod. Enjoy, enjoy! Stupid characters are the best - they're everyone's favorite - by the way ;) Anyway, anyway, I'm sure no one wants to listen to/see/read me babbling on and on so... just read the chapter, okay? ;) Hope you enjoy! And please review! We love you for your reviews! They make us feel warm and fuzzy inside! (Hehe...)

**Disclaimer:** CCS and all its characters belong to CLAMP.

* * *

& CHAPTER SEVEN_  
The Hunters_

"Can you _believe_ how rude he was?"

"Who, Syaoran-kun?"

"Who else?"

Getting _really _tired of all her complaining, Sakura looked over at Tomoyo and remarked, "He was handsome, wasn't he?" A sly grin broke out on her face.

Tomoyo turned up her nose in mock disgust, but Sakura could see the redness of her face. "What are you talking about? Handsome? Him? Pish-posh!"

"_Please_! You know you like him. Admit it," Sakura responded with a wink.

"Well, what about you then? Don't _you_ like him?" Tomoyo retaliated.

"Uh, no."

"Oh come on. Admit it. Admit it," teased Tomoyo, poking Sakura in the ribs. Sakura squealed like a piglet and wrapped her arms around her stomach. "What slow reflexes you have!" exclaimed Tomoyo, laughing.

Right then an arrow whizzed by them, so close it skimmed the tip of Sakura's nose. A drop of blood rolled down from the small wound. The arrow went _thunk_ as it sank deep into the trunk of a tree. The girls were so startled that they didn't notice the small utopia of flowers that sprung out in the very spot where the blood had dripped.

Out from the bushes leapt a yelling man, spittle flying from his mouth. Frankly, he was waving his bow around like a madman.

The first thing Sakura noticed about him, though (besides the outburst), was the green outfit he was wearing… it looked identical to that of the man she had seen during the fire! Hanging from his neck swung a pendant that had the silver letters F and H entwined around each other.

For some reason, the letters struck fear deep into Sakura's heart. She stared at him, horror written all over her face.

The man's lips curled in satisfaction. "I see that you recognize the pendant."

Tomoyo looked back and forth between Sakura and him, anxiousness in her eyes. "What is he talking about? Where have you seen it before?"

"I-I don't know," Sakura answered, puzzled. "It just… seems familiar somehow…."

"It is the official crest of the Fairy Hunters," boasted the man, obviously very proud of the fact. "There is, of course, the hawk birthmark but that doesn't mean that you're ready to be a _true_ Fairy Hunter! No, you receive this once you've finished the rigorous training."

"Well, why did you attack us then?" Sakura asked nervously, twisting a lock of hair around her finger, forcibly smiling, "You hunt fairies, right? Not humans."

"Ah, but that's just it. You _are_ a fairy, aren't you?" said the man, a hint of a smile at the corners of his lips.

"What are you talking about?" said Sakura, pretending to be confused. "I'm not a fairy."

"You aren't?" the man asked, bewildered. "Then what about her?"

"I'm not one either." Tomoyo said.

"Well someone here _must_ be a fairy and it certainly isn't me!" he declared, indignant.

"Just one question… when did you get your pendant?" Tomoyo asked.

The man smiled broadly, proudly declaring, "Why I just got it last week! This is my first fairy hunt."

Now observing him more closely, Sakura and Tomoyo could tell that he was about 17. His blond hair flopped boyishly over his baby blue eyes. Although he seemed to know how to handle his weapons, he seemed very uncertain of whether Sakura and Tomoyo were fairies or not.

They gladly took advantage of this uncertainty. "Well if it isn't us or you, then maybe you are wrong. Anyway, how do you tell if someone is a fairy or not?"

"Well, all of us fairy hunters have an innate ability to sense the whereabouts of fairies. It starts as a broad area and then gradually, if you train hard enough, the area becomes smaller and smaller until eventually, you can pinpoint it to a person. Right now, I have an area sense of 750 sq. feet," he explained, certain that these two beautiful young ladies weren't fairies and was now trying to impress them with his knowledge and skill.

"Well then, why did you attack only us if you have a whole area to cover?" asked Tomoyo.

"You were the only people I saw."

"Maybe the _real_ fairy is hiding and you just haven't spotted him or her."

The man snapped his fingers and said with an enlightened smile, "Hey! That might just be it! Oh, I forgot my manners. My name is Ryander Toshinoko. And yours?"

"Well, my name is Hikaru Fuwa," Tomoyo pointed to herself and then proceeded to dub Sakura as Saruki Chimaro. "Now would you excuse us for a moment?"

Ryander nodded. Tomoyo pulled Sakura behind a bush, out of hearing range. It was then that Sakura said angrily, "Why did you tell him fake names? That is dishonest."

"What did you want me to do? Tell the man who is hunting you our real names so he can track us down if he finds out you are a fairy?!" Tomoyo retaliated.

"Well, no…"

"So see? Anyway, I have a plan."

"For what?"

"For escaping from Ryander, dummy. We can't stay with him because he might discover you are a fairy and kill you!" After Tomoyo said this, they both looked out of the bush to see him making a daisy chain. "And don't let that sweet nature fool you. Inside he is a cold-blooded killer!"

"Right…. Well what's your plan then?" Sakura asked.

"Well you can cast glamours right? I remember that time that we stole sweetmeats from that street vendor and then you made replicas of ourselves to lead him away. It was great," Tomoyo said chuckling to herself. "But anyway, I need you to do that again. Not exactly images of ourselves but something human looking in the distance but so that Ryander can see it. Then while he chasing it, we make a break for it."

"I'm not sure I can do it," Sakura said nervously. "I was scared when we took the sweetmeats but now I'm not all that frightened.

Tomoyo gripped Sakura's shoulders tightly and said, "This is a matter of life or death. You should be scared. He could _kill_ you at any second. And feel good about it at the same time. Besides, it can just be a skin-colored blur. It doesn't even have to look human. You can make it look like a penguin for all I care as long it has a light skin-tone."

"I'll try…" Sakura said in a dubious manner, sighing half-heartedly.

"Great! So let's go."

"O-okay."

Tomoyo strode out confidently with Sakura meekly shuffling behind her.

"Hello, fair maidens. How about something to eat? I'm starving," Ryander said, grinning like the fool he is. "Do you girls have any grub?"

"Alas, no. We have been starving for a whole day and are so terribly hungry. Do you have any food?" Tomoyo asked

"No, that's why I asked you."

"Well, excuse _me_! I'm not the one mooching off innocent young girls."

Ryander had nothing to say to that. He appeared to be in deep thought for a while. Then he snapped his fingers and stood up quickly. "I know!" he exclaimed. "Why don't I go hunting and see what I can catch for you lovely young ladies?" Quickly grabbing his bow and arrows, he sprinted off into the forest.

Tomoyo and Sakura just stared after him, startled at his sudden outburst. "Um… well, we could at least get a meal out of him. When we're almost done, I'll point to a random spot and say, 'What's that?!' Then you can do your thing," said Tomoyo.

"Okay," Sakura responded flashing a nervous smile.

Just then, Ryander appeared holding three dead rabbits in his hand. "Bon appetite!" he said cheerfully.

* * *

"Yum! Well I'm almost done," Tomoyo said contentedly, putting an emphasis on _almost done. _She then gave Sakura an imperceptible nod. Suddenly, Tomoyo whipped her head around and pointed towards some trees, exclaiming, "What's that?" 

"What? Where?!" Ryander asked, grabbing his arrows and buckling on his sword.

"Over there!" said Tomoyo, jabbing her finger at the forest.

Ryander squinted hard into the night when he suddenly charged forward and yelled, "I shall get you, you damn fairy!" He crashed into the trees and yelled back at the girls, "Run before it gets you!"

"Just what we plan to do," Tomoyo muttered under her breath as she grabbed Sakura and ran as far and as fast as she could.

Soon, they stopped and bent over, fighting for every breath they could salvage. Tomoyo glanced around and said heavily, "K-Keep going. There's g-got to be sh-shelter around here _somewhere_."

"O-Okay," Sakura said, just as out of breath. "But can we rest for a bit?"

"Y-Yeah," Tomoyo said, crumpling down on the dirt floor, sprawled on her back. "Man, I hope that loser doesn't find us again."

"Then we should find some cave or something where he can't see us," Sakura said, sitting up and scanning the surroundings. She saw a dark smudge in the distance and pointed it out to Tomoyo. "I think that that might be a cave."

Tomoyo squinted in the direction that Sakura pointed out and saw a tiny black dot. "Well, I guess we have nothing better to go by so let's go."

They started to head toward the smudge when Sakura heard a branch crack and saw a dark shadow out of the corner of her eye. Hyped up already by the run and paranoid about the fact that Ryander could kill her anytime if he found out she was a fairy, Sakura screamed and threw a surprisingly well aimed punch at the shadow. The shadow grunted and fell forward to reveal Ryander, unconscious and with a lump on his forehead.

"…. Well that solves one of our problems," Tomoyo said. "Now if we could just get away before he wakes up that would be great."

Sakura and Tomoyo ran toward the smudge as fast as they could. They arrived to find that it was just an outcropping of rock jutting out just right above their heads with vegetation hanging in tendrils hanging all the way to the ground.

"At least we can take shelter under here…," Sakura said, already pulling back the tendrils. Only when she did, it revealed a hole in the rock wall.

They both stood for a while, surprised. However, it wasn't long before they rushed in.

The cave was more of a tunnel, stretching off into the distance, with other tunnels branching off of it. There was a putrid smell and on the ceiling there were glowing rocks placed at regular intervals, just giving off enough light to see by but not enough to penetrate the lingering shadows that clung to the edges of the tunnels.

Something about the place was niggling at Sakura's mind but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring the thought to reveal itself. Her thoughts were interrupted by Tomoyo saying from near one of the other tunnel entrances, "Hey! There's a pile of wood that looks like it's arranged for a campfire."

Sakura headed to where Tomoyo was but as she got closer, Sakura couldn't help noticing that the horrible scent got stronger. When she got to the woodpile, she picked up a piece of wood and gagged from the smell emanating from it. Oddly, the wood felt smooth and she held it up to see closer, she saw a glint of white and a horrible realization came over her. It wasn't wood, but _bones_!

Sakura franticly turned to Tomoyo to tell her that but she saw from Tomoyo's face that she had come to the same conclusion. A breath of hot air blew into their faces and they both looked up into the darkness to see red, glowing eyes.

* * *

**SUMMER BREAK!! WHOOOOO! That also means more time to update for usss :D (Doesn't mean we _will_ update more, though... LOL.) We'll try, we'll try. Be expecting more from us soon! **

**Cheers,  
Rem & Suzie**


	8. Reunion

**Suzie:** Sorry, people. I know this is really late and even though we had the whole summer, we didn't do anything. We were too busy being lazy. But its finally here, and has a bit of foreshadowing... ooooooohhhh We are also busily working on Love Again (our other fanfic) and a new one called Promise, although I can't promise (see the pun? eh, eh?) you that that will be up soon. Enjoy.

**Rem:** Oh, you kill me with your humor, Suzie :P LOL, anyway, we didn't spend the whole summer doing being lazy... we were very busy! LOL. Anyway, yup, here's chappy 7! Yay! (: So, Love Again IS being worked on and WILL be up soon. Before winter break ends, hopefully. Ehhh... well, enough about that. Hope you enjoy this chapter! XD

**Disclaimer:** We don't own any aspect of CCS ):

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CHAPTER SEVEN

_Reunion_

The thought that had been niggling at Sakura's mind suddenly clicked into place. Their situation, at that split-second, became all too clear – and it wasn't good. They were in the lair of a kiri family.

The kiri were vicious, carnivorous animals whose favorite meat was human. They created a network of tunnels and caves for their extensive family. One kiri family usually consisted of about a hundred of the little buggers. They started out at about 8 inches long to grow to be more than seven feet long and five feet high. They bear a striking resemblance to rats, apart from the fact that they have long and floppy rabbit ears that endowed them with the ability to detect the even the slightest of sound. To counterbalance that incredible gift, they were cursed with complete blindness, unable to see anything. It was said that the species had died out long ago, so they, like Sakura, were mystical and mostly unknown.

Sakura and Tomoyo could do nothing but stand stone-still, transfixed by the eyes of the horrendous creature, shaking in fear. Then, a long thin tail shot out of the darkness. It swept the girls aside and knocked them against the wall.

Sakura grunted and glanced around, bleary-eyed from pain, trying to spot Tomoyo. Suddenly, looming in front of her was the face of the kiri. She screamed and crossed her arms out in front of her as a shield, but the kiri took no heed, viciously flinging her up towards the ceiling. Sakura cried out as her back struck one of the glowing rocks, shattering it. She fell to the ground, lying limp as a rag doll while rock shards continuously rained down upon her body.

She lolled her head around, her body numbed by pain, her vision hazy; nothing she saw was comprehended. She felt like nothing was real and everything had been horrible dream, that nothing could touch her in her own little world. For one clear moment, she saw Tomoyo sitting against the opposite wall, her knees curled up to her chin, looking fearfully at Sakura.

Sakura wanted to tell Tomoyo to run, that there was a dangerous floppy-eared rat, but that struck her as funny, hilarious even, and she desperately wanted to laugh but all that came out pitiful wheezing. Her mouth was too dry to laugh and her sides hurt too much, so much that it felt like her ribs were broken.

All of a sudden, an image of a kiri try to hop like a bunny popped into her head and she smiled with delirium. It was the last thing she remembered before she blacked out.

---

Pain shot thorough her right arm and she screamed like a banshee, her back arching in agony. Then, numbness swept through her and black dots danced in her eyes as Sakura turned her head and saw… a long, blood-splattered tooth glinting in the light. Alarmed, Sakura squinted to see beyond the tooth. What met her gaze was… a human arm? Her eyes trailed down to see large hands clutching the tooth that was plunged into her arm. The blood pooling around and staining everything… it was hers. It took a while for this information to register in Sakura's brain, but when it did, her eyes widened in shock and her mouth opened to scream bloody murder. Instead, she only gasped – the pain was so great, she could not even voice it.

Sakura desperately thought, "I don't want to die. I have so much to do!" Then, her thoughts turned a sudden one-eighty and her panic turned to anger. How dare this creature try to take her life? Did it think it could control who died and who didn't? All of this anger concentrated into a single point in her chest. Slowly, the feelings seeped outward in a wave until it covered her whole body in its warm embrace.

A voice in her head chuckled and hissed, "_Succumb." _...a red flash invaded her vision and then rapidly, the red turned to black. Faintly, she could hear a voice screaming at her angrily. "Damn! You may have won for now, but I'll be back. _I'll be back…_" Why did the voice sound… oddly familiar? It was her last thought before Sakura fell unconscious for the final time that day.

---

"-kura! Sakura!"

Sakura's eyes jerked open, and she came face-to-face with a worried Tomoyo. Slowly, memories of the cave trickled back into her mind. Sakura bolted upright, glancing around frantically for the kiri. On the way up, she heard a sharp crack and the top of her head burst with pain. Whimpering, she turned around to see— "Syaoran?!"

Syaoran could only groan in response, holding his now-bleeding nose. "What are you laughing at?!" he growled at Eriol, who was rolling on the floor laughing.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" Sakura said, completely mortified. "Here, let me," she insisted, ripping off a piece of cloth from the hem of her skirt. She used that cloth to wipe up the blood and pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing his head back. After a few minutes, Sakura let go of Syaoran's head but he couldn't move it. After being in that position for so long, it was too stiff to move. This, of course, made Eriol erupt in another convulsion of laughter.

Syaoran rolled his eyes. When they landed on Sakura, he grumpily asked, "Is it your life's goal to make a continuous fool of me?"

"Of course not! How can you think that of me?" Sakura gasped, tears springing to her eyes. "All that has happened was purely incidental," she swore.

Seeing the tears, Syaoran became alarmed and tried to sooth Sakura by using conciliatory words. Instead, he just made an ass of himself, reminding her of the bad things she did to him, which, in turn, just made her cry harder.

Finally, he tried a new tact, trying to distract Sakura by saying, "So, well, wow. How did you do it?"

"What are you talking about?" Sakura sniffled.

"Well, you killed that kiri inside, right?" Syaoran asked, perplexed.

"Of course not! I blacked out, and then someone... my arm…." Sakura trailed off, staring at her arm as if it was hanging in tatters from her bones. In fact, the opposite was true. It was whole and looking healthy as ever, even though Sakura could have sworn that it had been stabbed back in the cave.

"Who? What's wrong with your arm?" Syaoran asked, puzzled, seeing nothing wrong with it.

Sakura jumped, startled by Syaoran's voice, and squeaked out, "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about something else," while unconsciously stroking her arm. "So, what are you guys doing here?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"We're looking—"

"It's a secret," Eriol butted in. "Sorry, but we can't tell you."

"He's right," responded Syaoran, looking abashed. "We're not allowed to tell."

"Well you can at least tell us where you're headed. Maybe we can travel together. You can be our protection," said Sakura, warming up to the idea quickly, thinking of Ryander.

"Well, actually, we are headed to where we pointed out to you before. Y'know, the town north-west of here. So I guess that works out perfectly."

"Hmm… yeah," said Sakura distractedly while still thinking about the kiri. What had happened to it? How could she still be alive? Syaoran said that she did something to it but that was impossible. She was knocked out cold and wouldn't have been able to do anything anyway, even if she wasn't. So where did he get the idea that she had anything to do with its supposed death?

Tomoyo's voice broke into her thoughts. "Sakura? What are you doing, standing there like an idiot? Let's go already!" She reached back to grasp Sakura's hand and whispered in her ear, "Before any more fairy hunters can find us."

Sakura's gaze shifted to Syaoran and Eriol who were standing a ways away waiting patiently for them to catch up and she saw a glint of metal at both of their necks. Why do the chains of their necklaces look so familiar? Sakura could have sworn that the fairy hunters' necklace chains held the same distinct silver hue that Syaoran's and Eriol's did, but that wasn't possible! If they were fairy hunters, wouldn't Sakura be dead by now?

Sakura ran up to Syaoran and Eriol with Tomoyo in tow and chirped, "Let's go!" Her voice and manner revealed nothing of what she was pondering. When she reached out to hold Syaoran's hand, she cried out in pain and collapsed onto the floor, her face twisted in agony.

"Oh my God! Sakura!" Tomoyo screamed out.

Syaoran stood there for a moment, shocked into stillness. Then, acting quickly, he reached down and poured some liquid into Sakura's mouth from a vial he retrieved from his pocket. Sakura seemed to calm down as she swallowed the amber liquid and opened her eyes, still shaking a bit from the pain. Tears spilled down her cheeks. Syaoran helped her up and held her steady with one arm around her waist, the other on her elbow.

"What was that stuff that you fed Sakura?" Tomoyo asked, suspicious.

"That was an extremely strong painkiller. It was my last bottle," Syaoran responded wryly. "It'll make her feel lightheaded for a while, though."

Sakura look up at him appreciatively. "I am eternally grateful. It felt for a moment like the pain would never go away." Sakura turned to look at Tomoyo and said shakily, "I need to talk to you. Privately."

Tomoyo nodded and helped Sakura to a nearby stream, keeping them hidden from the boys by a stand of trees. Sakura reached up to slip off her kimono, and with a trembling hand revealed her shoulders. On her back was the birthmark that labeled her as a fairy. The delicate mark of the butterfly was graceful and elegant; the lines on its wings created a pattern that bewitched the watcher. Sakura winced as she touched it, saying, "This is where it hurt. I wanted to ask you if there is anything wrong with it, but I didn't want the boys to see."

When she heard nothing, Sakura turned around to see Tomoyo, wide-eyed with her hands at her mouth. She was, unsuccessfully, trying to hide her shock. "It's… black," she whispered, her voice trembling.

"What?!" Sakura yelped and ran to the stream too see her for herself. She turned her head to look over her shoulder at her reflection and was met with the biggest shock of her life.

The butterfly that used to be a pure light pink color was now an ugly, evil, sinister, beauty-marring

* * *

**Ooo... cliffhanger XD Anyway, thanks for reading! And sorry for the very late update u.u**

**Cheers,  
Rem & Suzie**


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